Floyd Mayweather Jr. says he will continue working with Golden Boy

Matthew Paras

July 16, 2014

CHICAGO – Floyd Mayweather Jr. said Tuesday that he will continue working with Golden Boy Promotions beyond his Sept. 13 rematch against Marcos Maidana.

Mayweather told ESPN in June that he wouldn’t be working with the promotional company after CEO Richard Schaefer left Golden Boy. Mayweather Promotions, however, went on to use Golden Boy as a partner to promote his upcoming rematch against Maidana.

“Richard Schaefer built Golden Boy from the ground up and I think he’s an unbelievable guy,” Mayweather said. “As far as Oscar, I don’t have anything negative to say about him, either. I wish Oscar nothing but the best with his company and he has a lot of fighters. We’re going to continue to do business with Oscar.”

Mayweather said he hasn’t been as close to De La Hoya as he is with Schaefer. Mayweather and De La Hoya, of course, fought in 2007 and have continued to exchange barbs from time to time.

“I don’t really speak to Oscar,” he said. “We’ll speak and shake hands, even though mine is genuine and his isn’t really genuine. But I don’t really have anything towards Oscar.”

Mayweather Promotions also has plans to start promoting more shows without Golden Boy. The company was granted a promotional license in New York July 3, leading to speculation that Mayeather could potentially fight in the state down the road.

Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe said that Mayweather Promotions was expanding their company further.

“I’m looking to apply for a license in Chicago,” Ellerbe said. “We’re looking at doing a number of different things in a number of different states, not just one particular state in general.”

One state Mayweather Promotions still needs a license is Nevada, where Mayweather is based. There has also been other speculation that Mayweather Promotions wouldn’t apply for a license because Mayweather wouldn’t want to submit his tax records or subject himself to a promotional hearing in the state.

“We’ve already applied for a license in Nevada,” Ellerbe said.

GOING HOME

Before the five-city press tour began, Mayweather went to his hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan to visit his grandmother. With the 37-year-old returning home, a reporter asked Mayweather his thoughts about NBA star LeBron James returning to James’ hometown Cleveland Cavaliers in Free Agency.

“I think every athlete, if they’re free, is entitled to go where they want to go,” Mayweather said. “I was free and I went to Showtime. He was free and he go where he wanna go.”

Mayweather then shifted to talk about his recent trip to Grand Rapids.

“The main reason I wanted to go back was to see my grandmother,” Mayweather said. “I cut my trip short in panama to see my grandmother. She’s getting up there in age, close to 90 now. I went back just to see her and hug her. I just wanted to give her a hug. I’m happy I’m in a position where I can fly back to my hometown whenever I want to.”

WORLD CUP

Add Marcos Maidana to the list of Argentines devastated from his country’s 1-0 loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup final. Maidana, who played soccer as a child before switching to boxing, shook his head when how he was feeling from it.

“I was heartbroken, very much so,” Maidana said via translator and Golden Boy Promotions Vice President Eric Gomez said. “I would rather have had them lose in the final four than in the final. It’s more painful to lose in the final.”

Maidana added that he thought Lionel Messi deserved the Golden Ball, the MVP of the final, but “it would have been nicer if the whole team had won.”

When asked what it would mean if Messi attended his fight in September, Maidana said “Yeah. Messi. Maradona. They are my idols. I would like for them to come.”